North Korea is utilizing its state-run media to encourage citizens
to actively engage in this year’s rice planting tasks amid growing fears of
drought-related loss.
“Active assistance on the farms and good farming practice is
the road to happiness for everybody.
Total mobilization must occur with all our strength as we face the rice planting
battle,” the Rodong Sinmun announced on the 9th.
In a three-page spread dedicated to the issue, it was said
that, “All workers and laborers must exhaustively exhibit their loyalty to the
party during the rice planting period.”
Despite calling for all regions to incite a “rice-planting
craze”, the authorities continue to emphasize that the cost of all farming supplies
including vinyl seedbed coverings must be sourced at the individual unit level.
“Assisting with farm work is one’s natural civic task and
duty. Should the rice planting be successfully achieved in a short period of
time then every citizen will in turn be helped by the farms,” the piece went
on, calling for increased farm labor to counter “abnormal climate conditions.”
Worsening drought conditions in North Korea’s western
breadbasket regions is thought to be partly responsible for this year’s strong
emphasis on the rice planting season, and increased mobilization is hoped to bolster
the national rice stores.
The regime is likely concerned with securing this year’s
rations for the main centers including Pyongyang, as well as producing sufficient food for its military.
A defector from South Hwanghae Province told Daily NK, “North
Korea shouts about its self-sufficiency and recovering through its own efforts,
but it is proving once again that all it has left is to push the people. They are emphasizing ideological warfare, and
it seems that this year especially they will utilize the rice planting season
as a way to assess loyalty [to the Party], which constricts the people even
more.”
Meanwhile, Daily NK sources reported on the 28th that
persistent drought conditions in Hwanghae Province are seeing locals, including a large contingent of students, mobilized to the state-run farms one month earlier than usual.
